3 Tips for Long-Term Customer Service Success

Brad is the VP of Customer Service for a large, global retailer. His team receives exemplary CSAT and NPS scores—indicating customer service success—but he’s still losing sleep. He needs to ensure that millions of customers receive a seamless and positive experience today, and for years to come. Whether updating customer service policies or employing new, omnichannel experiences, Brad’s world of customer service changes quickly. He needs to empower his rapidly growing team of reps and address the evolving preferences of their customers.

When considering the state of customer service, it’s easy for leaders to focus on internal metrics and organizational goals. Forward-thinking leaders who to ensure long-run success, like Brad, are shifting their focus and developing new strategies to address the wants and needs of their customers. Incite Group’s State of Customer Service sheds light on some the top challenges facing customer service leaders. The report identifies several key areas that contact centers need to address in order to achieve short- and long-term success. Here’s a look at three important issues:

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Provide a seamless experience

The modern-day consumer interacts with brands on multiple channels—from phone, web, social, and more. Leading companies must react to and address their customers’ needs on every channel. In fact, 98% of respondents noted that it’s essential to deliver an effortless and seamless customer experience—making it the most important topic for customer service leaders in 2018.

Data and customer research also support a strategic multichannel experience. If customers are more likely to connect via social media and chat, prioritize integrating these options into operations. Proving a seamless experience doesn’t stop at leveraging social support and online channels—it’s also about delivering a personalized interaction By equipping customer service reps with the context they need to tailor each and every interaction, companies will build strong relationships that positively impact the bottom line.

Reduce wait and response times

In addition to a seamless and personal experience, customers want to receive adequate assistance—quickly. Approximately 80% of surveyed leaders agree that it’s critical to reduce wait and response times for every customer service interaction. For teams don’t, the consequences can be dire. When customers are forced to wait for help, they’re likely to become frustrated with their experience and the company as a whole.

Customers expect companies to respond instantly and cater to their individual needs. The differentiator is how well customer service teams anticipate their customers’ questions and actions. Nearly 90% of customer service leaders surveyed say that it is important to use analytics, data, and tools to gain a real-time view of customers. This data highlights customer preferences and makes it easier to proactively provide quick support.

Empower and develop agents

A better customer experience begins with a better customer service rep. Approximately 60% of customer service leaders say that agent development is essential—and the highest-performing teams plan to prioritize their reps’ training in 2018. Better training is key for high-growth teams who want to adapt to changing demands and empower reps for every occasion.Training and development directly impact many of the issues faced by customer service leaders. As technology, products, services, and customer preferences change, reps need effective onboarding and continuous training. As more companies introduce new support channels, reps must be equipped with the skills to interact with customers across every channel. Beyond that, agents also need the knowledge to answer customer questions and reduce the average time per interaction. By intentionally providing reps with development opportunities, customer service teams will provide effortless, efficient, and engaging service time and time again.

Today’s customer service leaders have the opportunity to drive customer success like never before. By focusing on multichannel integration, quick and proactive support, and agent empowerment, leaders will deliver long-term, personalized support at scale. Find more of the Incite Group’s key findings here.

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